Chapter 5

Tate was already pinching the bridge of his nose in dismay. His wolf wanted to do everything to protect the teenager but how was he going to protect her from the law when he had already vouched to stand with the law when he took an oath as the newly-elected Deputy Defense Minister (Wolf Division) just several weeks ago?

Lucianne was careful not to look too ominous when she delivered the truth, “Then she has to be fined or…kept in custody in accordance with the law.”

‘Kept in custody’ was a nice way of saying ‘jailed’. Stella knew this, too. “NO! NO! PLEASE! YOU CAN’T! YOU CAN’T! PUT ME THERE INSTEAD! PLEASE!’

Lucianne sat closer to her and wrapped her arms around the girl to comfort her with a hug. Stella’s tears drenched a part of Lucianne’s cerulean-colored blouse but the queen didn’t mind it as she let the poor girl cry her eyes out until her crying eventually reduced to sobs and sniffles. When Stella came to terms that there wasn’t a way to change Lucianne’s mind, she asked in a small voice, “You’ll take care of us? You promise?”

Lucianne gently lifted up the girl’s chin, and looked deep into her eyes as she uttered clearly and firmly, “I promise.”

Tate then got Xiera to lead the lycan warriors to the dungeons where the other two rogues had been held all night, and Xiera drove them all back to the open space where the jet was. Lucianne sat with Stella in the backseat as Tate drove them. A large part of him felt that Stella shouldn’t be going with Lucianne, that she should remain in White Blood under his care and supervision. He glanced at the girl through the rear-view mirror every once in a while, and the decision of not turning the car around felt more wrong by the second.

He stole glances of Lucianne, not from affection but from wanting to seek confirmation that his instincts weren’t wrong. He saw that she wasn’t enjoying any of this either. But what choice did they have? She was the queen. He was a deputy minister. They both had a duty to uphold. But why did upholding a duty have to feel so…wrong?

They reached the field and got out of the car. Xiera just came down from the jet after making sure the lycan warriors didn't need anything else with securing the two prisoners. Tate got Xiera to guard Stella as he ushered Lucianne to the side.

With nothing but hesitance, he began, “Lucy, I don’t feel good about this.”

“Well, I guess it’s comforting to know that I’m not alone,” she muttered.

“Can’t you do something?” Tate pressed in a dismayed whisper.

“I can, Tate. But I need to take her for now. You and I both know that. I’ll talk to Xandar and Chief Dalloway. We probably have to call for a government meeting soon to discuss rogues beyond the Wu Bi Corp sphere, specifically when it comes to minors. I’ll make sure she’s okay.”

Tate’s anxiety eased a little at Lucianne’s assurance. She shook her head in dismay as she muttered, “Why her? Apart from her scent, she’s nothing like a typical rogue we’ve been slaughtering for years on end.”

“I wonder what’s with her mother.”

“Whatever it is, I hope it’s not too grave. Parents have this instinct to do anything to make sure their child is okay. We just don’t know how many laws her mother had to violate to raise her.”

“You know, I wished I wasn’t elected all of a sudden. At least then I wouldn’t be torn between duty and instinct,” Tate remarked with a light chuckle.

Lucianne’s frown turned into a smile when she whispered, “I’d say I wish I wasn’t the queen so that I could ask Juan and Hale to take Stella into Blue Crescent, but it somehow feels irresponsible and wrong for me to deny the position I’m given now. The coronation ceremony cost taxpayers a lot of money.”

“Not to mention the fact that your mate wouldn’t like to hear you refusing the crown.”

A broader smile graced her features when she admitted, “That’s true...but I’m still more concerned about the taxpayers’ expenditure in this case.”

Tate chuckled at her response. They embraced like old friends. Lucianne then approached Stella and Xiera. After thanking Xiera and giving her a hug for old time’s sake, they all heard ferocious growls as five wolves charged towards them at lightning speed. One of them was about to pounce in Xiera’s way before Lucianne’s eyes turned as blue as sapphires when she radiated the Queen’s Authority, compelling the five rogue wolves to stay rooted to their spot.

The lycan warriors heard the commotion, and Phelton dashed out of the plane and sprinted to his queen, preparing to shift into his animal to defend her. Lucianne’s Authority held the rogues to their spot, and her eyes returned to their black-and-lilac color as they fixed on them. She wondered why they were attacking in an open space, in broad daylight. Rogues normally attacked after dusk or before dawn to avoid capture and to ease escape.

Her confusion was clarified when Stella exclaimed, “MOM!”

‘Oh no.’ Lucianne thought to herself. A mere attempt to attack Lucianne was a crime on its own since she was the queen. How was she going to persuade her overprotective husband to go easy on Stella’s mother now?

And just when Lucianne thought that things couldn’t get any more complicated, she saw Tate look at the rogues like he was in a trance. But there was no desire to kill. He just stared at them for a good three seconds before approaching them in slow, careful steps. That was when Lucianne realized that the red she-wolf leading the other four had her rosewood eyes fixed on Tate.

Tate followed the delightful scent of hyacinths and morning dew to the red rogue wolf. When he got down on one knee to level himself with the she-wolf, he uttered, “Mate.”

Lucianne, the lycan warriors and Stella were all shocked to hear that. Tate, the Alpha of one of the strongest packs in existence, who was also one of the kingdom’s two deputy defense ministers, was bonded to a rogue?